Source: Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images / Getty
Universities in Texas say they have eliminated hundreds of jobs and programs from their related college campuses to comply with the state’s ban on DEI programs and initiatives
According to AP, the head of the University of Texas Systems announced the school had cut 300 full- and part-time positions and more than 600 programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion training.
“You may not like the law, but it is the law,” University of Texas Systems Chancellor James Milliken told AP.
Last month, the University of Texas campus in Austin, one of the biggest college campuses in America, also closed its Division of Campus and Community Engagement to comply with the new law.
Texas’ anti-DEI bill, which went into effect Jan. 1, prohibits public institutions of higher education from, among other things, establishing or maintaining diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices or hiring or assigning officers, employees or contractors to perform the duties of a DEI office.
Lawmakers are also making it clear that there will be repercussions if the new law isn’t followed properly.
Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp told lawmakers the new law “makes it crystal clear” that “if you tread back into the bad waters, something bad is going to happen to you.”
According to Best Colleges, there are more than 30 proposed bills targeting DEI programs at state-funded institutions. The bills are aimed at defunding DEI offices and programs as well as removing diversity practices from the hiring process.
Florida, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, North Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho and Utah have all signed anti-DEI bills into law.
Utah is the latest state to enact an anti-DEI bill, which is set to go into effect July 1, 2024.
In April, Kansas’ Democratic governor allowed an anti-DEI bill approved by their GOP-led lawmakers to become law without her signature.
According to AP, the law will prohibit state universities, community colleges and technical schools from requiring prospective students, potential employees or promotions to make statements on their views about diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
In March, Alabama lawmakers approved a bill that would prohibit universities, K-12 school systems and state agencies from sponsoring DEI programs, which the bill defines as any program, class, training, seminar, or other event where attendance is based on an individual’s race, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, or sexual orientation.
Click here to see a full list of DEI bills that have been introduced.
SEE ALSO:
North Carolina’s Anti-DEI Bill Is Detrimental To Black Maternal Health, Advocates Say
The Influence Racism Has On Public Opinion Toward DEI Programs
